Running from Saturday 29th July until Sunday 6th August, the events around Cornwall’s shoreline aim to help people enjoy Cornwall’s marine wildlife and gain an ‘up close and personal’ experience of the lesser-known creatures and plants found in our seas.

Through rockpool rambles, seagrass snorkels, cliff-top dolphin watches and more, the wildlife charity hope to inspire a new generation of marine conservationists and volunteers.

Cornwall is home to some of the richest marine wildlife, from tiny rare colourful corals to giant basking sharks. Our marine environment is also under huge pressure from damaging fishing practices, development at sea and pollution from farming, sewage and plastic.

Matt Slater, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust says:

“Cornwall has a rich and varied coastline with an incredible diversity of marine species that call it their home, our maerl beds and seagrass beds in particular are among the best in the UK and the snorkelling and diving in Cornwall is incredible.

“National Marine week celebrates this diversity; from tiny fluorescent coloured sea slugs to huge fin whales, we have got it all, but it also celebrates the huge value healthy seas offer for us all.

“Our seas provide us with so much, including the very oxygen we all breathe, the seafood we eat, inspiration and recreation, and increasingly they are also being valued as vital in countering climate change, as they are so good at capturing carbon dioxide from our environment.

“They need to be protected better so that future generations can enjoy these many benefits. We want to see at least 30% of our seas under proper protection by 2030 and we will only achieve this with support from the public.

“Our seas are an inspiration to many but are still under appreciated, largely because so few of us venture beneath the surface. We hope to inspire and engage with as many people as possible this summer through a host of exciting and inspiring events taking place all around Cornwall! Take the plunge and join in!”

The events have been organised in partnership with Cornwall’s Your Shore Network – a movement of 18 community-led marine conservation groups which Cornwall Wildlife Trust coordinates. This year, young marine conservationists will be featured on the charity’s social media channels throughout the week to shine a light on the diverse wildlife in our seas and projects that are helping to protect nature on our shores. Cornwall Wildlife Trust are also inviting everyone to share their pictures during the week, using the hashtag #nationalmarineweek.

Zeni Hayton, Shoresearch volunteer coordinator at Cornwall Wildlife Trust says:

"I train members of the local marine groups, who are citizen scientists, in the Shoresearch methodology and I help them with their ID skills as well.

“I really love working with different people and showing them the wonders of the rocky shore that they haven’t seen before.

“I think one of my favourite things that I’ve ever found is the solar-powered sea slug. It’s able to process the chloroplasts of the algae that it eats and use them to produce energy for it so it sparkles and glows.”

Some of the lesser-known species found in Cornwall's seas include:

• Maerl beds – these rare habitats are Cornwall’s own coral reefs! Made of purple nuggets of living algae they are slow growing and exceptionally fragile but are home to an astonishing diversity of marine species. Falmouth harbour and bay are home to some of England's largest maerl beds.
• Humpback whale – these incredible giants of the sea are becoming increasingly common in Cornish waters in recent years – since the ban on whaling the Atlantic population of humpbacks has increased and they are attracted here by large shoals of sardines and sprats.
• Leatherback turtle – a summer time visitor from warmer seas this, the largest species of turtle in the world, visits our coastal waters when we have large numbers of jellyfish for them to eat! Leatherback turtles can grow to 2 metres long and weigh nearly one ton (900kilos).
• Atlantic bluefin tuna – these huge oceanic predators have only recently started to return to Cornish waters following their prey – sardines and other small fish. Their numbers have recovered following years of overfishing and it is a privilege to see them again in our waters.
• Mediterranean octopus - the largest species of octopus found in UK seas, the Mediterranean octopus grows to well over one metre in arm span and fishermen and divers are reporting far more than usual in our waters in the past two summers.
• Sea slugs or nudibranchs - these small molluscs come in all shapes and sizes and there are 195 species in UK waters! Keep your eyes peeled and you may see one when rock-pooling, snorkelling or diving. The most colourful of them all is the rainbow sea slug – Babakina anadoni, which was first seen in Cornish waters last summer, with many sightings this year.
• Cornwall boasts the longest coastline in England, stretching over 400 miles long, and is home to globally rare grey seals, iconic choughs and the Southern coast’s resident pod of bottlenose dolphins. Wherever you are in Cornwall, you’re never more than 16 miles away from the coast.

National Marine Week events include:

Celebrate at the Mounts Bay Seagrass Festival: On 2nd August, join the Your Shore Team and Mounts Bay Marine Group to celebrate all things seagrass at Marazion by St Michael's Mount. Including a seagrass snorkel, rockpool ramble, sand sculptures and more! Discover this unique habitat and how it supports our wonderful Cornish marine life.

Enjoy the Marvellous Manacles Marine Day: 4th August at Porthkerris will be a full day of super fun activities! Start with the shore lab, look at the marine creatures that divers have collected, then join a rockpool safari with the Shoresearch team and end the day with a guided snorkel. There is even the opportunity to try diving and freediving with Porthkerris Divers. Booking is essential!

National Whale and Dolphin Sea Watch: In collaboration with the Sea Watch Foundation's citizen science project, join Seaquest Southwesters at Trevose Head on 29th July to survey the UK’s coastal waters. Help research the distribution of whales, dolphins, and porpoises around the UK. 

Come Crabbing in Looe!: On 31st July, marine conservation officer Matt Slater will be with Looe MCG crabbing. Meeting at the Heritage Centre, Matt will explain how to go crabbing respectfully while spotting species on the rocky shore.

Peek Beneath the Waves on a Seagrass Snorkel: Join Cornwall Wildlife Trust on 31st July at Porthpean Beach to delve into the underwater world at one of the largest known seagrass spectacles in the UK. Learn what rare species live in this biodiverse habitat.

A full list of events and volunteering activities is available on Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s website.

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